I was honored to join my colleagues in government, Town Supervisor Liz Feldman, Briarcliff Mayor Steve Vescio, Councilmembers Jennifer Fields Tawil & Greg Meyer, Judges Mark Reisman & Benjamin L.F. Leavitt, and Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg for the annual Briarcliff Ossining Ministerial Association Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this past weekend.

Every year, I look forward to this event, hosted by different clergy. The event brings our community together to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Thank you, Pastor Shaun Jones and Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church, for hosting this year. I want to give a special shout-out to the Briarcliff High School Choir and 

all the guests who joined in this moving tribute which created space for all of us to consider how we can actively participate in our community to right the wrongs. 

Did you know Ossining has its own eagle nest near the Hudson River? I learned that fact and other exciting tidbits this past Wednesday at Croton Point Park as colleagues from New York State, Westchester County, Village of Croton and the Town of Ossining joined the folks from Teatown to kick off their annual EagleFest event. I especially enjoyed seeing the reaction of the Ossining first graders and their teachers to meeting Montana the Eagle.

Join us Saturday, February 4th (snow date is Sunday, February 5th) for this fantastic family-friendly event – where you too can meet Montana the Eagle—in person! Click here for tickets: https://www.teatown.org/eaglefest-tickets/

Volunteers on the Village’s committees are the lifeblood of our community. The Village Board of Trustees and I have invited the chairs of the following committees to present a review of their work over the past year at our board meetings. We will be hearing annual updates, open issues, questions they may have, needs for additional resources, and anything else they think the Board of Trustees would be interested in learning.

January 18th: Landlord-Tenant Relations Council (Chair Steve Dewey)

The Landlord-Tenant Relations Council (LTRC) conducts research into community housing problems, formulates programs to improve landlord-tenant relations, accumulates statistical information on available housing accommodations, and resolves disputes between landlords and tenants through mediation.

February 1: Civilian Police Complaint Review Board (Chair Jennifer Cabrera)

The Civilian Police Complaint Review Board (CPCRB) was created to promote public confidence in the ability of the Village of Ossining to provide a governmental structure to fairly investigate, review and dispose of civilian complaints made against its police officers, giving due regard to the rights and interests of both the civilians and police officers involved.

February 15: Board of Ethics (Chair Claude Tusk)

The Village’s Board of Ethics (BOE) has the power to receive and investigate complaints regarding alleged violations of the Village's Code of Ethics, the General Municipal Law, or any other law relating to the ethical conduct of municipal officers and employees.

February 22: Land Use Boards

We have asked all (4) land use boards to join this meeting in an effort to encourage a collaborative working relationship among this critically-important team.

Planning Board & Board of Architectural Review (Chair Seth Roye)

The Planning Board & Board of Architectural (PB) reviews a variety of applications, including subdivision, site plan, conditional use, and special permits (where appropriate).

Zoning Board of Appeals (Chair Marlene Cheatham)

The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) is given appellate jurisdiction by state law to hear and decide appeals from decisions of those officials charged with the administration and enforcement of the zoning ordinance or local law.

Historic Preservation Commission (Chair Daniel Garbowit)

The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) hears applications for and recommends the designation of landmarks and historic districts to the Board of Trustees as well as decides upon Certificates of Appropriateness and hears applications for and recommends to the Board of Trustees donation of façade easements.

Environmental Advisory Council (Chair Kate Schlott)

The Environmental Advisory (EAC) Council advises the Board of Trustees on matters affecting the preservation, development, and use of the natural and man-made features and conditions of the Village.

March 22: Police Reform Advisory Committee

The Police Reform Advisory Committee (PRAC) reviews the Village's progress in implementing the plan the Board of Trustees adopted, resulting from a comprehensive review of the Ossining Police Department's deployments, strategies, policies, practices, and procedures. 

The remainder of our boards will be presenting throughout the balance of the year. Thank you so very much to our volunteer board and committee members for serving our community and government. Your commitment makes a difference in the everyday lives of your neighbors.

The full agenda for this week’s Legislative Meeting can be found here: Legislative Meeting - Jan 18 2023